Nebraska Quarterback Tanner Lee Will Go into NFL Draft

The Cornhuskers starting quarterback tweeting out Thursday (December 28) that he is forfeiting his final year of eligibility in Lincoln and will enter the 2018 NFL draft.

The move comes a little more than a month after head coach Mike Riley was fired, following a 4-8 season. That caused Nebraska to miss a bowl game for the first time in a decade. Riley was replaced by former Husker quarterback Scott Frost a week later.

Lee says Frost told him if he stayed he would be Nebraska's starting quarterback in 2018, but Lee says he made the decision to go pro because it was 'best for myself and my family at this time.'

Lee transferred from Tulane after the 2015 season, forcing him to sit out for all of 2016. As a starter for the Huskers in 2017, he completed 58 percent of his passes for 3,143 yards, with 23 touchdowns and 16 interceptions.

This is the first time in Nebraska history that a quarterback has left early for the NFL.

The Cornhuskers currently have four other quarterbacks on the roster. Patrick O'Brien and Andrew Bunch will be entering their sophomore years in 2018. Tristian Gebbia will be a redshirt freshman. Adrian Martinez will be a true freshman.

Of that group, only O'Brien saw any playing time in 2017. He appeared in three games, completing 18-of-30 passes for an interception and no touchdowns. He also ran the ball 14 times for 48 yards.